Suddenly he thought of his friend Rouvaloff, a young Russian of very
revolutionary tendencies, whom he had met at Lady Windermere's in
the winter. Count Rouvaloff was supposed to be writing a life of
Peter the Great, and to have come over to England for the purpose of
studying the documents relating to that Tsar's residence in this
country as a ship carpenter; but it was generally suspected that he
was a Nihilist agent, and there was no doubt that the Russian
Embassy did not look with any favour upon his presence in London.
Lord Arthur felt that he was just the man for his purpose, and drove
down one morning to his lodgings in Bloomsbury, to ask his advice
and assistance.

'So you are taking up politics seriously?' said Count Rouvaloff,
when Lord Arthur had told him the object of his mission; but Lord
Arthur, who hated swagger of any kind, felt bound to admit to him
that he had not the slightest interest in social questions, and
simply wanted the explosive machine for a purely family matter, in
which no one was concerned but himself.

Count Rouvaloff looked at him for some moments in amazement, and
then seeing that he was quite serious, wrote an address on a piece
of paper, initialled it, and handed it to him across the table.

'Scotland Yard would give a good deal to know this address, my dear
fellow.'

'They shan't have it,' cried Lord Arthur, laughing; and after
shaking the young Russian warmly by the hand he ran downstairs,
examined the paper, and told the coachman to drive to Soho Square.